1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data processing method for converting data on a graphic pattern such as a character font, which data are expressed in terms of binary signals, into one-dimensional time series data so as to record the graphic pattern by successively scanning same and a system adapted to practice the data processing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data processing method for exposing and recording characters, marks, patterns and/or the like laid out at the input station of a computerized phototypesetting machine to complete a single picture frame on a photosensitive material such as photographic film or paper by means of a one-dimensional output unit (for example, picture scanning and recording means such as electronic color scanner) and a system suitable for use in the practice of the data processing method.
By the term "characters" as used herein, is meant general Chinese charactes, "hiragana" characters, "katakana" characters, Roman letters, etc. The term "marks" mean designed characters and letters such as logotypes and the like as well as other marks. On the other hand, the term "patterns" mean various patterns such as circles, ellipses, etc., which may be represented by curvilinear equations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has heretofore been unknown any means which can record a pattern containing characters, marks, patterns and the like in combination in a single step by means of a one-dimensional output unit. Nothing has been materialized, particularly, where the size of a pattern frame to be recorded is of relatively large one, for example, as large as the size of a newspaper page.
Accordingly, such a demand has conventionally be fulfilled in such a way that the marks, patterns and the like are drawn for example by a coordinate plotter and the characters, numerals, symbols and the like are on the other hand set and recorded as a desired composition by means of a photocomposing machine, and the thus-drawn marks, patterns and the like and the thus-recorded composition are then arranged and fixedly glued on a base sheet in accordance with a prescribed layout so as to form an original plate pattern having a size equivalent to one full page.
Such a conventional method is however accompanied by such drawbacks that considerable time is required in preparing characters, patterns and the like as individual unit patterns, positioning them on a base sheet and then gluing them on the base sheet, leading to an imminent high production cost and the accuracy of the positioning of the unit patterns in poor upon their gluing.